Hesperaloe plant named ‘MSWNNuevo Leon’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Hesperaloe  plant named ‘MSWNNuevo Leon’, characterized by its upright and tall plant habit; vigorous growth habit; strong and upright green-colored peduncles that are uniformly branched; relatively large campanulate red purple and light red purple bi-colored flowers; relatively long flowering period; and good garden and landscape performance.

Botanical designation: Hesperaloe campanulata.

Cultivar denomination: ‘MSWNNuevo Leon’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Hesperaloe plant, botanically known as Hesperaloe campanulata and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘MSWNNuevo Leon’.

The new Hesperaloe plant is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Glendale, Ariz. The objective of the breeding program is to develop new freely flowering Hesperaloe plants with unique flower form and color, good landscape and garden performance, drought tolerance and high temperature tolerance.

The new Hesperaloe plant originated from a self-pollination during the spring of 1991 of an unnamed selection of Hesperaloe campanulata, not patented. The new Hesperaloe plant was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a single flowering plant within the progeny of the stated self-pollination in a controlled environment in Glendale, Ariz. in May, 2008.

Asexual reproduction of the new Hesperaloe plant by in vitro meristem culture since the spring of 2016 in a controlled greenhouse environment in Grand Haven, Mich., has shown that the unique features of this new Hesperaloe plant are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations of asexual reproduction.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the new Hesperaloe have not been observed under all possible combinations of environmental conditions and cultural practices. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environmental conditions such as temperature and light intensity without, however, any variance in genotype. The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘MSWNNuevo Leon’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘MSWNNuevo Leon’ as a new and distinct Hesperaloe plant:

-   -   1. Upright and tall plant habit.     -   2. Vigorous growth habit.     -   3. Strong and upright green-colored peduncles that are uniformly         branched.     -   4. Relatively large campanulate red purple and light red purple         bi-colored flowers.     -   5. Relatively long flowering period.     -   6. Good garden and landscape performance.

Plants of the new Hesperaloe can be compared to plants of the parent selection. Plants of the new Hesperaloe differ from plants of the parent selection in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Hesperaloe are uniform in height whereas         plants of the parent selection are not uniform in height.     -   2. Plants of the new Hesperaloe have uniformly branched         peduncles whereas plants of the parent selection have         inconsistently branched peduncles.     -   3. Plants of the new Hesperaloe have larger flowers than plants         of the parent selection.     -   4. Plants of the new Hesperaloe flower more uniformly and more         freely than plants of the parent selection.     -   5. Flowers of plants of the new Hesperaloe are red purple and         light red purple bi-colored whereas flowers of plants of the         parent selection are soft pink in color.

Plants of the new Hesperaloe can also be compared to plants of Hesperaloe funifera x Hesperaloe parviflora ‘Perfu’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 21,728. Plants of the new Hesperaloe differ primarily from plants of ‘Perfu’ in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Hesperaloe have uniformly branched         peduncles whereas plants of ‘Perfu’ have inconsistently branched         or non-branched peduncles.     -   2. Plants of the new Hesperaloe have larger flowers than plants         of ‘Perfu’.     -   3. Plants of the new Hesperaloe flower more uniformly and more         freely than plants of ‘Perfu’.     -   4. Flowers of plants of the new Hesperaloe are red purple and         light red purple in color whereas flowers of plants of ‘Perfu’         are pink in color.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearance of the new Hesperaloe plant, showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Hesperaloe plant.

The photograph on the first sheet is a side perspective view of typical plants of ‘MSWNNuevo Leon’ grown in containers.

The photograph on the second sheet is a close-up view of a typical inflorescence of ‘MSWNNuevo Leon’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photographs and following observations, measurements and values describe plants of the new Hesperaloe grown during the spring and early summer in five-gallon containers in an outdoor nursery in Glendale, Ariz. and under cultural practices and conditions which closely approximate commercial production. During the production of the plants, day temperatures ranged from 7.2° C. to 53.8° C. and night temperatures ranged from 3.8° C. to 33.3° C. Plants were three years old when the photographs and the description were taken. In the description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 2015 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Hesperaloe campanulata ‘MSWNNuevo Leon’. -   Parentage:     -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Unnamed selection of Hesperaloe             campanulata, not patented.         -   Male, or pollen, parent.—Unnamed selection of Hesperaloe             campanulata, not patented. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type.—By in vitro meristem culture.         -   Time to initiate roots, summer.—About two weeks with ambient             temperatures about 38° C. to 48° C.         -   Time to initiate roots, winter.—About three weeks with             ambient temperatures about 10° C. to 24° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, summer.—About two             months with ambient temperatures about 38° C. to 48° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, winter.—About four             months with ambient temperatures about 10° C. to 24° C.         -   Root description.—Medium in thickness, fleshy; typically             white in color, actual color of the roots is dependent on             substrate composition, water quality, fertilizer type and             formulation, substrate temperature and physiological age of             roots.         -   Rooting habit.—Moderately freely branching; medium density. -   Plant description:     -   -   Plant form and growth habit.—Perennial subshrub; upright and             tall plant habit; vigorous growth habit; leaves arranged in             a basal rosette with a strong, upright and uniformly             branched central flower stalk.         -   Plant height, from soil level to top of inflorescence.—About             212 cm.         -   Plant height, from soil level to top of foliar plane.—About             107 cm.         -   Plant diameter (area of spread).—About 51 cm. -   Stem description:     -   -   Internode length.—About 1.5 cm.         -   Aspect.—Upright.         -   Texture.—Smooth, glabrous.         -   Color.—Close to 153A; leaves cover the stem. -   Leaf description:     -   -   Arrangement.—In a basal rosette, whorled; simple; sessile.         -   Length.—About 110 cm.         -   Width.—At the apex, about 1 mm; mid-section, about 1.2 cm;             at the base, about 3 cm.         -   Shape.—Acicular; concave.         -   Apex.—Acuminate; apices are sharply pointed.         -   Base.—Clasping the stem.         -   Margin.—Entire; filiferous with tough curly fibers, close to             NN155D in color.         -   Texture and luster, upper and lower surfaces.—Smooth,             glabrous; tough, rigid and fibrous; longitudinally and             minutely ridged; somewhat succulent; slightly glossy.         -   Venation pattern.—Parallel.         -   Color.—Developing and fully developed leaves, upper surface:             Close to 146A; venation, close to 146A. Developing and fully             developed leaves, lower surface: Close to 146A to 146B;             venation, close to 146A to 146B. -   Flower description:     -   -   Flower type, arrangement and flowering habit.—Single             campanulate flowers; flowers arranged in terminal, upright             and uniformly branched racemes; freely flowering habit with             about 360 flowers per inflorescence at one time; flowers             initially face upright to outwardly.         -   Natural flowering season.—Continuous flowering during the             spring and summer in Arizona.         -   Flower longevity.—Individual flowers last about five days on             the plant; flowers not persistent.         -   Fragrance.—None detected.         -   Inflorescence length, including peduncle.—About 207 cm.         -   Inflorescence length, central branched section with             flowers.—About 63 cm.         -   Inflorescence length, lateral branched sections with             flowers.—About 42 cm.         -   Inflorescence diameter.—About 7 cm.         -   Flower length.—About 3 cm.         -   Flower diameter.—About 8 mm.         -   Flower buds.—Length: About 9 mm. Diameter: About 5 mm.             Shape: Ovoid. Color: Close to 62A.         -   Flower segments.—Quantity and arrangement: Six segments per             flower arranged in two whorls. Length: About 3 cm. Width:             About 7 mm. Shape: Elliptical, narrow. Apex: Acute;             outwardly flared. Base: Truncate, fused. Margin: Entire.             Texture and luster, upper surface: Smooth, glabrous;             slightly succulent; slightly glossy. Texture and luster,             lower surface: Smooth, glabrous; slightly succulent; matte.             Color: When opening and fully opened, upper or inner             surface: Close to 62A to 62B; towards the margins and apex,             close to 65D; color does not change with development. When             opening and fully opened, lower or outer surface: Close to             62A; towards the margins and apex, close to 65D; color does             not change with development.         -   Peduncles.—Length, to base of branching: About 140 cm.             Length, central branches: About 63 cm. Length, lateral             branches: About 42 cm. Diameter: About 1.2 cm. Strength:             Strong, sturdy. Aspect: Upright. Texture and luster: Smooth,             glabrous; slightly glossy. Color: Close to 146B.         -   Pedicels.—Length: About 1 cm. Diameter: About 1 mm.             Strength: Strong, flexible. Aspect: About 45° from peduncle             axis. Texture and luster: Smooth, glabrous; matte. Color:             Close to N144A.         -   Reproductive organs.—Androecium: Quantity per flower: About             six. Filament length: About 1 cm. Filament color: Close to             NN155D. Anther shape: Oblong. Anther length: About 5 mm.             Anther color: Close to N144A. Amount of pollen: Scarce.             Pollen color: Close to N144B. Gynoecium: Quantity per             flower: One. Pistil length: About 2.4 cm. Style length:             About 1.6 cm. Style color: Close to NN155D. Stigma             appearance: Rounded. Stigma color: Close to NN155D. Ovary             color: Close to 154D.         -   Fruits.—Type: Shape: Three-segmented, roughly spherical.             Length: About 3 cm. Diameter: About 2.8 cm. Texture and             luster: Smooth, glabrous; slightly glossy. Color: Close to             between 144A and 146A.         -   Seeds.—Quantity per fruit: Numerous, about 126 per fruit.             Shape: Semi-circular, flat. Length: About 1 cm. Diameter:             About 4.5 mm. Texture and luster: Smooth, glabrous; slightly             glossy. Color: Close to 202A. -   Garden performance: Plants of the new Hesperaloe have been observed     to have good garden performance and to be suitable for USDA     Hardiness Zones 7 to 11. -   Pathogen & pest tolerance: To date, plants of the new Hesperaloe     have not been observed to be tolerant to pathogens and pests common     to Hesperaloe plants. 

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct Hesperaloe plant named ‘MSWNNuevo Leon’ as illustrated and described. 